February might be considered the month of love for some folks, but for me, it means one thing, bald eagles. Utah is blessed to have a good population of these majestic raptors wintering each year in a variety of locations throughout the state.
Each winter, thousands or more bald eagles leave their northern breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska to spend the season in the United States, including areas as far south as the Mexico border. They migrate south for milder climates in search of food, including fish and waterfowl.
Utah is one of those areas that not only has a good population of bald eagles during the winter, but a few pair of these beautiful birds actually live and nest in our state each summer.
It is quite a thrill to see bald eagles in Northern Utah, and there are a few locations that seem to attract bald eagles quite consistently each winter.
Farmington Bay WMA is the best location for viewing bald eagles during winter in Utah. In past years, I have seen as many as 50 or more bald eagles at once in easy viewing proximity to the road at this particular location.
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The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is another spot I consistently see bald eagles but never in such numbers as I have seen at Farmington Bay.
Usually, the Bear River Bird Refuge has only a handful of birds at one time, but it is a pretty consistent location to view wintering bald eagles nevertheless, from my own personal experience, that is.
I have visited Farmington Bay WMA numerous times this winter, including up to and including 3 days ago. I was able to observe about a dozen bald eagles out on the ice each time I have visited the nature preserve in the past month or so.
In previous years, large die-offs of carp, a large non-native fish that resides in Farmington Bay’s waters, provided a good source of food for the wintering bald eagles and would attract dozens of these large birds to feast on the bounty.
This year, however, no such situation occurred, but there are still plenty of bald eagles to view at Farmington Bay WMA.
Getting to Farmington Bay WMA
Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area (WMA) is located on the southern portion of the Great Salt Lake and is a state-owned and wildlife management area, mostly for waterfowl and migratory birds.
It is located in the City of Farmington, Utah, about 25 minutes north of Salt Lake City. Getting to Farmington Bay WMA is fairly easy, and I have included a Google Maps listing of the area for anyone interested in viewing bald eagles at Farmington Bay.
When Can We View The Bald Eagles?
Viewing the bald eagles at Farmington Bay WMA is at its peak during the month of February. The WMA does have hours of operation and the gate opens at 8:00 am and closes at 5:00 pm, but the best time of day to view the bald eagles is early to mid-morning anyways.
Other Locations In Northern Utah To View Bald Eagles During The Winter
Without question, Farmington Bay WMA is the best location for viewing bald eagles during the winter here in northern Utah, but it’s not the only location. Here are a few alternatives I have found to harbor bald eagles during the winter months.
- Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is my overall favorite birding spot in Utah, and it seems to always have a few bald eagles out on the ice as I drive around the auto tour route.
I never see more than a handful of eagles at any given time, however, and never as many as the dozens I have seen at Farmington Bay, but the refuge does consistently attract bald eagles during the winter months.
It does offer a lot more opportunities to view a variety of other birds, in addition to bald eagles, along the 12-mile self-guided auto tour route than most other locations in Utah have.
- Willard Bay
Willard Bay State Park, just a stone’s throw away from the Bear River Bird Refuge, also attracts a few bald eagles during the winter. Last winter, in fact, I stopped at the park and observed about a dozen eagles perched in the large trees in various locations around the campgrounds and park facilities.
It is very close and accessible from the interstate, but you do have to purchase a park pass to enter Willard Bay as it is owned and managed by the State of Utah as a state park.
- Antelope Island Causeway
Antelope Island Causeway is another location I see bald eagles fairly regularly flying by, mostly because, I suppose, I spend so much time out there each week.
When the lake is frozen, the bald eagles will sit out on the ice, and if you are observant as you drive the causeway to Antelope Island, you can sometimes see a majestic bald eagle along the way.
This location, however, isn’t as consistent as the other spots I frequent, but it is a place I do find bald eagles during the winter months here in Northern Utah, just not as consistently as the other spots, however.
It is also a Utah State Park, so you do need to purchase a park pass, either daily or yearly like I do, to enter the park, but this is one of my most favorite spots in Utah so, bald eagles or not, it is well worth the price of admission in my opinion.
- Salt Creek WMA
One last location in Northern Utah that traditionally attracts bald eagles, but one I don’t visit much because of the limited birding opportunities is Salt Creek WMA. It’s further north of the Bear River Bird Refuge and is a state-owned waterfowl management area that does attract bald eagles each winter.
I just don’t spend much time here for bird watching because there is not much in the way of access to get closer for bird watching, so I only make a trip or two each summer in search for burrowing owls, and more about those in an upcoming blog post.
Finding bald eagles during the winter in northern Utah isn’t a hard task at any of these locations, but if I were interested in viewing bald eagles this winter, my first spot to consider would most definitely be Farmington Bay.
My second choice would be the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. But second only for bald eagles, as the Bear River Refuge is by far an overall better birding spot year-round just in general.
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